Effects of the Vietnam War

Gabe Esquivel

Vietnamization - Stop the War

The Birth of Venus (Italian: Nascita di Venere) is a painting by Sandro Botticelli generally thought to have been painted in the mid 1480s. [more]

Coming Home - Newspaper

Charles I in Three Positions, also known as the Triple portrait of Charles I, is an oil painting of Charles I of England by Flemish artist Sir Anthony Van Dyck, showing the King from three viewpoints: left full profile, face on, and right three quarter profile. [more]

Vietnam War Dog Tag

This source consists of an anti-war poster produced by the Vietnam Moratorium campaign in 1970, which includes an image of a
Vietnamese puppet, Marshal Ky, with bloodied hands, being manipulated by a hand emerging from a shirt sleeve which is the flag
of the United States of America. The poster appeals for the end of the war and withdrawal of support for the government in
Saigon and repatriation of foreign troops from Vietnam. By symbolising the puppet master as America, this allows the interpreter
to understand the role in which the nation played in terms of manipulation and overall control of the perception of the media, and
therefore the general population. As a result of this symbolism, the audience is made to feel powerless in the grand scheme of
events that took place and feel as though the United States is a cruel, superior power wiht only their prosperity in mind. Due to
human nature, when people are made to feel powerless or unable to grasp control of the outcome of the situation at hand, they
tend to respond with fear. This fear leads to opposition in the public, therefore rendering this source effective and thorough in its
outcome.

Vietnam Veterans

This source is the front cover of one of the most trusted news sources in Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald. On April 25th,
1987 (12 years post war) ‘Searching for the truth about Vietnam’ and ‘Coming Home’ could be observed in large bold writing on
the front page of the paper. The front page shows Australian soldiers from the vietnam war returning home, fitted with uniform and
stern faces. The review attempts to outline the confusions the Australian population has in terms of the truth about Vietnam and
aims to clarify the intents and effects of the war. Through this source we are able to determine that the effects of the Australian
involvement in the Vietnam War were still prominent 12 years on from the retrieval of troops from the battlefield. A clear interest in
the politics surrounding the war at the time of publication (25/04/87) can be determined as such a trusted new source such as The
Sydney Morning Herald has decided to frontline their issue with the topic. As a result, this source effectively communicates the
interests of the Australian public of the time, therefore rendering it vital in understanding Vietnams social effects in terms of
emotions in the following years.

Flatford Mill

This source is an Australian Vietnam War dog tag that was returned from being lost after 49 years ( Apr 30 1975 - Nov 24, 2015).
The eighth inch wide and two inch long aluminium dog tag has clear signs of wear on the exterior and states his full name and
position within the military. When the man it belonged to, Donald Winterhalter (69), was interviewed about its return, he stated "It
was an incredible story, it really was. After 46 years, [the dog tag] wasn't something I was thinking about." The dog tags return 46
years after the end of the Vietnam War is an indicator in the lingering effects of the combat and a symbol of the tendency of the
past to catch up with you when you least expect it, especially in terms of the mental and physical effects of combat. As a result of
the return of the veterans dog tag meaning significantly more than just the return of lost property, this source therefore
communicates an inability for an individual to simply forget about the past in a convenient manner, which can be directly related
to the mental and social effects of the Vietnam War.

The Fighting Temeraire

This source stands alone from others simply because it is not one that will exist for future generations to appreciate as well as its
classification as a primary source. The Vietnam Veterans are able to provide first hand experience in Vietnam that can be offered
no where else. However their ability to recall experiences from the Vietnam War comes at a toll. A study mandated by Congress in
1983 showed approximately 30 percent of men and 27 percent of women had PTSD at some point in their life following Vietnam.
Through the stories passed down from the veterans, we are provided with an in depth recount of the events that took place as
well as feelings and emotions that were evidently common at the time as a result of the war. By learning about different
perspectives of the war, whether it be mental or role based, we can piece together the time period in a detailed manner that
cannot be offered elsewhere. As these live sources are undoubtedly the most reliable and in depth informants, these men and
women remain vital in understanding the Vietnam War, therefore rendering it an effective source in all terms.

Liberty Leading the People

The Birth of Venus (Italian: Nascita di Venere) is a painting by Sandro Botticelli generally thought to have been painted in the mid 1480s. [more]

Ophelia

This source consists of an anti-war poster produced by the Vietnam Moratorium campaign in 1970, which includes an image of a
Vietnamese puppet, Marshal Ky, with bloodied hands, being manipulated by a hand emerging from a shirt sleeve which is the flag
of the United States of America. The poster appeals for the end of the war and withdrawal of support for the government in
Saigon and repatriation of foreign troops from Vietnam. By symbolising the puppet master as America, this allows the interpreter
to understand the role in which the nation played in terms of manipulation and overall control of the perception of the media, and
therefore the general population. As a result of this symbolism, the audience is made to feel powerless in the grand scheme of
events that took place and feel as though the United States is a cruel, superior power wiht only their prosperity in mind. Due to
human nature, when people are made to feel powerless or unable to grasp control of the outcome of the situation at hand, they
tend to respond with fear. This fear leads to opposition in the public, therefore rendering this source effective and thorough in its
outcome.

The Music Lesson

The Music Lesson or Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman by Jan Vermeer, is a painting of young female pupil receiving the titular music lesson. [more]

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Effects of the Vietnam War - Gabe Esquivel